all creation.

所有的創造。

Through error you come to the truth!

通過錯誤，你就會得到真理!

I am a man because I err!

我是一個男人，因為我犯錯了！我是一個男人。

You never reach any truth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a hundred and fourteen.

如果不犯十四個錯誤，你永遠無法達到任何真理，而且很可能是一百零四個。

And a fine thing, too, in its way; but we can't even make mistakes on our own account!

這也是一件好事；但我們甚至不能因為自己的原因而犯錯！"。

Talk nonsense, but talk your own nonsense, and I'll kiss you for it.

胡說八道，但說你自己的胡說八道，我就會吻你。

To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.”

以自己的方式出錯，總比以別人的方式出錯好"。

Why is it better to go wrong in our own way rather than go right in someone else's?

為什麼以我們自己的方式出錯比以別人的方式出錯要好？

What's the meaning behind this quote?

這句話背後的含義是什麼？

As usual, I'm gonna explore this idea through a dialogue.

像往常一樣，我將通過對話來探討這個想法。

---

---

For weeks, a young student (S) had been having philosophical conversations with a retired

幾個星期以來，一個年輕的學生(S)一直在與一位退休人員進行哲學對話。

priest (P).

牧師（P）。

The following is one of them.

以下是其中之一。

P: I think it's better to go wrong in your own way rather than go right in someone else's.

P：我認為以自己的方式出錯，比以別人的方式出錯要好。

S: What?

S:什麼？

How?

如何？

Isn't it better to go the right way no matter how you get there?

不管你如何到達，走正確的路不是更好嗎？

Like if you wanna go to the grocery store, isn't it better to follow someone else's

就像如果你想去雜貨店，跟著別人的不是更好嗎？

directions and get there rather than go the wrong way on your own?

方向併到達那裡，而不是自己走錯路？

P: What you're saying sounds nice in theory, yes.

P：你說的這些在理論上聽起來不錯，是的。

If someone could just give you the right directions to wherever you wanted to go, it would save

如果有人能給你正確的方向，讓你去你想去的地方，這將節省

you a lot of time.

你有很多時間。

But you must agree that someone could just as easily give you the wrong directions, which

但你必須同意，有人可能很容易給你錯誤的方向，這

could make your trip to the grocery store longer than it otherwise would have been.

可能會使你去雜貨店的時間比原來更長。

S: Yeah that could happen.

S：是的，這可能發生。

You have to know who to trust.

你必須知道該相信誰。

And if you trust the right people, you'll get to your destination faster than you would

如果你信任正確的人，你會比你更快地到達你的目的地。

on your own.

在你自己身上。

There's no need to reinvent the wheel.

沒有必要重新發明車輪。

P: Okay, but how do you know who to trust?

P：好吧，但你怎麼知道該相信誰？

S: Well, you have to find someone who has a proven track record of saying the truth.

S:好吧，你必須找到一個在說真話方面有可靠記錄的人。

If someone has not lied in the past, they are unlikely to lie in the present.

如果一個人在過去沒有撒謊，那麼他在現在就不太可能會撒謊。

P: But you have to admit, just because someone hasn't lied or misled you in the past, it

P: 但你必須承認，僅僅因為某人在過去沒有撒謊或誤導你，這

doesn't mean they won't lie or mislead you now.

並不意味著他們現在不會撒謊或誤導你。

S: That's true, but the probability of them misleading you is lower.

S:這倒是真的，但他們誤導你的概率更低。

P: Yes, I get where you're coming from in a practical sense, but I'm trying to show

P：是的，我明白你在實際意義上的想法，但我試圖表明

you something you're not seeing.

你沒有看到的東西。

So someone gives you a piece of knowledge right now, how do you know whether to trust

所以現在有人給你一個知識，你怎麼知道是否要相信

it or not?

是不是？

S: If I know the person who's giving me the piece of knowledge has a proven track

S：如果我知道給我提供知識的人有可靠的業績

record of not lying, I will trust it.

不說謊的記錄，我將相信它。

But if I don't know their track record, I won't trust them.

但如果我不知道他們的業績記錄，我就不會相信他們。

P: Ok, so imagine this.

P：好吧，那麼想象一下。

Let's say you have a grandpa whose 90 years old and has never lied to you or misled you

假設你有一個90歲的爺爺，他從來沒有對你撒謊或誤導過你

once in your life.

在你的生活中，有一次。

And unbeknownst to you, he has a sudden malfunction in his brain, and he says to you, “if you

而你不知道的是，他的大腦突然出現了故障，他對你說，"如果你

jump off this cliff, you'll make a million dollars.”

跳下這個懸崖，你就能賺到一百萬美元。"

Are you going to believe that claim because of his track record?

你會因為他的業績記錄而相信這種說法嗎？

S: Of course not.

S:當然不是。

P: Exactly.

P：正是如此。

So you're not choosing to trust someone based off of their track record.

是以，你不是根據某人的記錄來選擇信任他。

And now we're back to the critical point: how do you know whether to trust a piece of

現在我們又回到了關鍵點：你怎麼知道是否要相信一個文件？

knowledge or not?

知識與否？

S: Hmm…

S: 嗯...

I guess I use my own knowledge and experience to assess whether I can trust someone.

我想我用自己的知識和經驗來評估我是否可以信任某人。

P: But that brings us back to the same problem: now how do you know if you can trust your

P：但這又讓我們回到了同一個問題上：現在你怎麼知道你是否可以信任你的

own knowledge?

自己的知識？

S: I guess if my knowledge was right in the past, then I can trust it.

S：我想如果我的知識在過去是正確的，那麼我可以相信它。

P: But we just talked about this.

P：但我們剛剛談到了這個問題。

Just because your knowledge worked in the past that doesn't mean it will work now.

僅僅因為你的知識在過去有效，並不意味著它現在也有效。

S: You're right, but it's not like I can choose not to act on my own knowledge and

S：你是對的，但我不能選擇不根據自己的知識和經驗行事。

past experience.

過去的經驗。

I have no choice.

我沒有選擇。

I have to act based on the sum total of my life experiences.

我必須根據我的生活經驗的總和來採取行動。

So I have to act on my knowledge, whether it is true or not!

是以，我必須根據我的知識採取行動，不管它是真的還是假的。

How can I act in any other way?

我怎麼能以任何其他方式行事呢？

P: No exactly, you're right!

P：不完全是，你是對的！你是對的。

You have no choice but to act on your own knowledge at any point in time.

你沒有選擇，只能在任何時候根據自己的知識採取行動。

Even when you're getting directions from someone else, you're deciding whether to

即使當你從別人那裡得到訓示時，你也在決定是否要

trust them or not based on /your own knowledge/.

根據你自己的知識，相信或不相信他們。

Right?

對嗎？

S: Yeah.

S：是的。

So what are you trying to say?

那麼你想說什麼呢？

P: I'm saying the problem is not about trust like you originally thought.

P：我是說問題並不像你原來想的那樣是關於信任。

Trust is irrelevant.

信任是無關緊要的。

You have no choice but to act on your own knowledge.

你別無選擇，只能根據你自己的知識採取行動。

So the real problem is whether or not your knowledge gets better or worse over time.

是以，真正的問題是你的知識是否隨著時間的推移變得更好或更壞。

Do you agree?

你同意嗎？

S: Hmm.. yeah, I do actually agree.

S：嗯......是的，實際上我確實同意。

So how does our knowledge get better over time?

那麼，隨著時間的推移，我們的知識是如何得到提高的呢？

P: Let's think about this together.

P：讓我們一起思考這個問題。

Imagine that all your life all you've ever seen are red apples.

想象一下，在你的一生中，你所看到的都是紅蘋果。

You'd probably believe that all apples are red, because you've never seen anything

你可能會相信所有的蘋果都是紅色的，因為你從來沒有見過任何東西。

that suggests otherwise.

這表明不是這樣的。

And as you see more and more red apples, this belief remains constant.

而當你看到越來越多的紅蘋果時，這種信念依然不變。

But one day you come across a complete anomaly: a green apple.

但有一天，你遇到了一個完全異常的情況：一個綠蘋果。

This anomaly falsifies your belief that all apples are red.

這一反常現象證偽了你關於所有蘋果都是紅色的信念。

And now you're confronted with a choice: do you update your knowledge or not?

而現在你面臨著一個選擇：你到底要不要更新你的知識？

Do you tell yourself that apples are not only red?

你是否告訴自己，蘋果不僅是紅色的？

Do you tell yourself they can be green and maybe even other colours too?

你是否告訴自己它們可以是綠色的，甚至也可以是其他顏色的？

Or do you ignore the anomaly?

還是無視這個反常現象？

Do you tell yourself you hallucinated it?

你會告訴自己是幻覺嗎？

Or do you tell yourself that it wasn't even an apple?

或者你告訴自己，那甚至不是一個蘋果？

S: Obviously I accept that apples can be other colours too!

S:顯然，我接受蘋果也可以是其他顏色的。

Why wouldn't I?

我為什麼不呢？

P: Well what if we were talking about something other than apples?

P：如果我們討論的是蘋果以外的東西呢？

Imagine that you're in a marriage with someone for 10 years, and you find evidence that they

想象一下，你和某人的婚姻有10年之久，而你發現證據表明他們

may be cheating on you.

可能是在欺騙你。

That evidence is an anomaly: it contradicts everything you believed about your spouse.

這個證據是一個反常的現象：它與你所相信的關於你配偶的一切相矛盾。

Will you welcome that anomaly into your life with all of its implications?

你會歡迎這種反常現象進入你的生活，並接受其所有的影響嗎？

Or will you ignore it?

或者你會忽略它嗎？

S: Hmm… you're right.

S：嗯......你說的對。

That is a lot harder to answer.

這就很難回答了。

Honestly, I don't know what I would do in that situation.

說實話，我不知道我在這種情況下會怎麼做。

P: Yeah, it's a lot harder isn't it?

P：是的，這要難得多，不是嗎？

So the improvement of your knowledge depends on how open you are to anomaly.

是以，你的知識的提高取決於你對異常情況的開放程度。

S: You keep using that word: anomaly.

S：你一直在使用這個詞：反常。

What does that mean?

那是什麼意思？

P: An anomaly is anything that falsifies or contradicts your own knowledge.

P: 異常現象是指任何偽造或違揹你自己知識的東西。

So the green apple, for example, is an anomaly because you believed all apples were red.

是以，舉例來說，綠蘋果是一個反常現象，因為你相信所有的蘋果都是紅色的。

But if you believed apples were red and green, it would not be an anomaly.

但如果你相信蘋果是紅色和綠色的，這就不是一個異常現象了。

S: Ok, that makes sense.

S:好的，這很有道理。

So what does it mean to be open to anomaly?

那麼，對異常現象持開放態度是什麼意思？

P: When something falsifies your knowledge, do you accept it or ignore it?

P：當有東西證偽了你的知識時，你是接受它還是忽略它？

In other words, can you admit to being wrong?

換句話說，你能承認自己的錯誤嗎？

If you can, you are open to anomaly.

如果你能做到，你就會對異常情況開放。

So do you see how this all relates to the original question?

所以你知道這一切與最初的問題有什麼關係嗎？

S: To be honest with you, I forgot what we were talking about in the first place.

S:跟你說實話，我忘了我們一開始談的是什麼。

P: Ha, that's okay!

P：哈，那好吧!

It happens.

它發生了。

In the beginning, I said I think it's better to go wrong in your own way than go right

在開始的時候，我說我認為用自己的方式出錯比正確的方式要好。

in someone else's.

在別人的。

S: Oh yeah!

S:哦，是的！這是個好主意。

So how does that relate to what you just said?

那麼，這與你剛才所說的有什麼關係呢？

P: Well, we both agreed that one of the main problems in life is whether or not your knowledge

P：嗯，我們都同意，生活中的一個主要問題是你的知識是否

improves over time.

隨著時間的推移有所改善。

S: We did.

S:我們做到了。

P: And what conclusion did we come to?

P：那我們得出了什麼結論？

How does your knowledge improve over time?

你的知識如何隨著時間的推移而提高？

S: I guess the answer comes back to what you originally said: your knowledge improves when

S：我想答案又回到了你最初說的：你的知識在以下情況下會有所提高

you're willing to go wrong in your own way.

你願意以自己的方式出錯。

But you have to walk your own path and be willing to admit when you're wrong.

但你必須走自己的路，並願意承認你的錯誤。

You have to be willing to confront your errors instead of ignoring them.

你必須願意面對自己的錯誤，而不是忽視它們。

P: So it looks like we're in agreement.

P：所以看起來我們達成了一致。

---

---

In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote, “To go wrong in one's own way is

費奧多爾-陀思妥耶夫斯基在《罪與罰》中寫道："以自己的方式出錯就是

better than to go right in someone else's,” and I explored the meaning behind this idea

比直接進入別人的更好。"我探討了這個想法背後的含義

through a dialogue.

通過對話的方式。

To walk your own path is to realize that you are always acting on your own knowledge.

走自己的路就是意識到你總是根據自己的知識行事。

Even when you're getting directions from someone else, you choose to take their advice

即使你從別人那裡得到訓示，你也選擇接受他們的建議

based on your own understanding of the world.

基於你自己對世界的理解。

And when you realize that all of your actions always come back to your own knowledge in

而當你意識到你所有的行為總是回到你自己的知識中去時，你就會發現

some form, and you decide to take responsibility for that, and you decide not to blame anyone

某種形式，而你決定為此承擔責任，你決定不責怪任何人

else for your actions, then you're walking your own path.

其他為你的行為，那麼你就在走你自己的路。

But to go wrong in your own way means that you realize that, at some point, you will

但以自己的方式出錯，意味著你意識到，在某些時候，你會

come across an anomaly.

遇到了一個反常現象。

And this anomaly will falsify or contradict your knowledge.

而這種反常現象將偽造或違揹你的知識。

And if you admit to being wrong, if you don't ignore the anomaly, if you face your errors

如果你承認錯誤，如果你不忽視反常現象，如果你面對你的錯誤

head on, then as Dostoevsky said, your errors can move you closer to the truth.

頭，那麼正如陀思妥耶夫斯基所說，你的錯誤可以使你更接近真理。

As always, this is just my opinion and understanding of Dostoevsky's words, not advice.

一如既往，這只是我對陀思妥耶夫斯基的話的看法和理解，而不是建議。

Feel free to use this information however you like, and if you have a different take

請隨意使用這些資訊，如果你有不同的看法

on Dostoevsky's words, I'd love to hear your perspective

關於陀思妥耶夫斯基的話，我很想聽聽你的看法

in the comments.

在評論中。